There is an old ACC match-up in the 2016 Quick Lane Bowl, where Maryland will be playing Boston College.
Maryland Terrapins
The Terrapins started the season at 4-0, but struggled in Big Ten play and finished the season at 6-6. They have only beaten one team who is bowl eligible, UCF. The good news is they don’t have any bad losses, as all of the teams they have lost to made bowl games this season. It was not a bad season for head coach D.J. Durkin’s first year.
Perry Hills has been the main quarterback for the Terrapins, although a lot have played. The best thing about Hills is his completion percentage at 66%. He has 1,235 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. Being mobile will be a key in this game for Hills.
D.J. Moore has been the best target for Hills and has 597 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He has big play capabilities with a long catch of 92 yards for a touchdown. Teldrick Moore has added 407 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Running the ball is what this offense does best. Maryland has 14 different ball carriers on the season. Ty Johnson and Lorenzo Harrison have been the most effective. Johnson has 845 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, but most impressively is averaging 8.9 yards per rush. Harrison rushed for 633 yards in the regular season and five touchdowns.
The rush defense for the Terrapins has been awful, allowing 218 yards per game, which ranks at number 101 in the country. The rank of the pass defense is 50, giving up 216 passing yards per game.
Jesse Aniebonam has been a force with nine sacks on the season. Jermaine Carter Jr. has done a little bit of everything for the Terrapin defense with 94 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.
Boston College Eagles
The Eagles were 4-6, but won their last two games to become bowl eligible. They have two good wins, one over NC State and one against Wake Forest. Both teams were bowl eligible. They did lose to one bowl ineligible team in Syracuse.
Patrick Towles, the transfer from Kentucky, is the signal caller for Boston College. He did not have a great year with 1,579 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, six interceptions and a completion percentage of 51%. Towles has NFL potential, but hasn’t played to his ability this season. He does have some mobility, as he was recruited as an athlete out of high school.
The best receiver for Towles has been Jeff Smith with 391 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately a lot of the receivers can’t get the necessary separation for Towles to get them the ball.
Boston College has four players with over 200 yards rushing. The running back who has done the most is Jon Hilliman, who finished the regular season with 463 yards and five touchdowns.
Because the offense is so bad, the defense has to be great. The Eagles rank number eight in the country with only 107 rushing yards allowed per game. The pass defense is also pretty good and only give up 204 passing yards per game.
Defensive lineman Harold Landry is tied for the lead in the country in sacks with 15 on the season. That is more than one per game, as he has gotten continuous pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season.
Prediction
Boston College’s stout defense will limit what Maryland can do. While they stop the Maryland offense, Towles and the offense will find a way to score just enough points to win the game.
Boston College Eagles 19 Maryland Terrapins 13
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